The Seahorse's Song
by seamrogue
Summary: It had been two years since Kana. Two years for Hatori to heal. However, he had frozen to ice, an ice so thick, it would not melt. Until his fiery new intern applies, waxing lyrics and songs that melted the polar ice caps. Reviews Appreciated.
1. Ice

1. Ice

"So, Hari, from what I hear, you've bagged yourself a new intern," Shigure commented, his slightly smiling face steadied by his hand, as Tohru served himself and Hatori tea. Hatori was solemn, as he thanked the young girl, and sipped politely from his cup, his dark green eyes observing Shigure for a trace of a sneer or jibe. He could not, however, find any.

"A new intern? That's great, Hatori-san!" Tohru smiled at Hatori, her brown eyes shining. Shigure nodded, the same amused smile captured his face.

"Yes, yes. And you say she's from the Oki Island, Hari? That's an awfully long way to travel, for such a young, naïve girl, barely out of high school." Shigure grinned impishly, and Hatori raised an eyebrow, knowing Shigure would be at something like that.

"Yes, she's graduated school with among the highest grades in the country," Hatori informed Shigure, as Kyo and Yuki came into the kitchen. It was just after school had ended on the autumn day, and the kids were just home from their walk.

"If she's so smart, then why did she come to work at the Sohma estate?" Kyo asked, an eyebrow rose, as he raided the fridge, only to find that there was nothing of interest.

"Not that there's anything wrong with the Sohma estate," Yuki inputted, with an annoyed glance at the ginger boy.

Hatori shrugged his shoulders slightly, "She was the first to take the offer, and meet the necessary expectations."

"But she's only out of high school, how could she have possibly have a medical degree?" Shigure questioned. This caught the three teenagers' attention, as they listened in closely.

"She has a certified degree." Hatori answered, with unamused eyes. "Apparently, she takes an interest in medicine, and has been training at local clinics for years."

"She must be really clever!" Tohru said in wonder, "I mean, to have achieved that is a big thing!"

"When does she get here?" Yuki asked inquisitively. Hatori checked his watch, and put down his cup.

"In about an hour. With that said, Shigure, I should get going. Thank you, Tohru-san for the tea." Hatori stood up.

"Not at all!" Tohru said, with a meek bow, "I can't wait to meet the new intern!"

"Yes!" Shigure grinned mischievously, "Why don't I accompany you, Hari? After all, it's a lonely drive out to the airport."

"No thank you, Shigure." Hatori declined the offer without a hint of subtlety.

"What is this, Hari?" Shigure feigned hurt, "Am I not good enough for your company?"

"No," Hatori answered patiently, "I wouldn't want to frighten the intern, with your, well, actually, I just don't want her to see myself acquaint with such an idiot."

"I'm sure that's _not _what you meant at all, Hatori." The old dog winked at him, with a sly grin.

"Shigure, I swear to-

"No, no. Go off and find your young high school intern, while I wither away with nothing but Kyo and Yuki to keep me amused." Shigure waved at Hatori with an air of drama, tears welling up in his eyes, as he tried to fight off a smile.

Hatori sighed, and shook his head, whilst turning away from Shigure and letting the door with a satisfying slam. Getting into his black car, Hatori swiftly pulled out of Shigure's front drive, and headed towards the Kyoto Airport.

As he sat in traffic, Hatori opened the documents he had on his intern. Her name was Leiko Kiyoko, only eighteen years of age. She had lived in Kyoto until she was three, and her father died, thus she had to move to Oki Island, where she lived with her Grandfather. She passed through school with a breeze, aspiring to become a doctor, like her late father.

"A fascinating individual." Hatori read on her school report from senior year, at her high school. She was 'gifted' at science, but also at Art, Music, and English, in which she had a flair for the three.

Hatori pulled into the airport. _Leiko Kiyoko._ It meant clear arrogance. Hatori hoped prayed even, that his intern wouldn't reflect her name.

He made his way through security, and waited for the flight to land. It would only be a few minutes before he could finally meet Leiko Kiyoko. At the thought of this, Hatori found himself thinking about Kana.

She was beautiful, tender, and sweet. She had lightened up his world, and opened everything up for him. Hatori saw beauty with her. She was kind, loving, but so innocent, and vulnerable. That was why they were caught out, and why they were torn apart.

_No. _

Hatori shook his head. He couldn't think like that. It was not Kana's fault, nor was Akito's fault. It was his own. His own selfishness that allowed himself to indulge in love. It was his fault he had hurt Kana, and Akito. Hatori had convinced himself, that he was the reason he was broken.

And now, the last he heard of Kana, was that she was marrying. To a man, who could take care of her, the way Hatori couldn't.

"Sorry, but are you Hatori Sohma?"

Hatori found himself back into the world, standing in an airport, waiting for his intern. Not with Kana, to his disappointment.

"Yes. And you are?"

"I'm Leiko Kiyoko, sir. I'm your new intern?" The girl said with a hint of apathy. But Hatori soon realized that he had mistaken that for exhaustion. Leiko was anything but apathetic.

But now, when Hatori thought about it, Leiko was not the first image that popped into his head, when he thought of a genius intern. As a matter of fact, Leiko was the last person Hatori would pick out as 'genius'.

For one thing, Leiko was barely eighteen. Actually, she told him in the car, a little embarrassed, that she was still only seventeen, but had started school early. She was also tall, which made her stand out when Hatori compared her to Tohru, who was a small teenager. Leiko was five foot nine, but nothing compared to Hatori, who still managed to tower over her, at six foot. Leiko was clearly not Japanese, and Hatori soon found out that she was of Irish descent, which explained her bright blue eyes, and auburn hair that was had an almost fluffy texture to it. Her hair hung lowly over her eyes, and didn't reach past her ears, except at the back, where it touched the nape of her neck. Leiko did not dress in a manner that would suggest that she was a doctor. She wore black jeans, an American boot that Hatori identified as Doc. Martens, and green jumper, at least three sizes too big for the girl.

She identified more like a friend of Hatsuharu's or Rin's, and Hatori had to admit to himself, that he was a little discouraged by this pale, red-haired teenager, who had such a serious expression on her face, that Hatori was convinced that she was going to a funeral.

"I see." Hatori answered curtly. "I hope your flight was a safe and comfortable one. If you don't mind, we should get going."

"Yessir." Leiko agreed, scuffing her boot against the floor, hands in pockets. "I've brought nothing with me. I had my belongings sent to my house to save time and hassle."

Hatori nodded, and lead the red head to his car, but didn't start the engine. Beside him, in the passenger seat, Leiko was too transfixed by the surrounding area to have even noticed. Her blue eyes swept across the airport, taking in every little detail. Hatori took a note of this.

"Tell me, Ms. Kiyoko, why did you choose to begin an internship in Kyoto?" Hatori asked, and Leiko tore her eyes away from the airport and looked Hatori in the eye. A trait, he noticed, was uncommon among people he first met.

"Please, I'm Leiko, not Ms. Kiyoto. And the reason I chose to go to Kyoto, was because for one thing, I wanted an internship in medicine, and secondly, I lived in Kyoto for three years, so I was always curious to see what it was like."

Leiko had a voice, which spoke her emotions, unlike Hatori's own. When she reached the topic of her grandfather, Leiko's mouth stretched into a smile, and her voice became warmer.

Hatori started the engine. "I see." He commented, a little skeptic of the girl's abilities. As he drove, he saw that Leiko barely gave him a second glance, and was hypnotized by the scenery of Kyoto. She seemed like a dreamer, and the last time Hatori encountered a dreamer like her, he ended up hurt.

"Leiko, tell me a little about yourself." Hatori requested, once again bringing the girl down to earth. Leiko's head turned to Hatori, her blue eyes scanned him cynically.

"Well, from these files, I can already see you must know a lot about me, sir. But I don't know an awful lot about you, only that you're now my boss. You're a stranger to me." Leiko's mouth turned upwards, and Hatori had the feeling that she was not being insolent, but was genuinely curious.

"Please," Hatori began, "I would appreciate it if you were to call me Hatori."

Leiko nodded. "Okay."

Hatori briefly told Leiko about himself, excluding the Sohma curse, and any other unnecessary information, such as Kana. To sum it up, he had a normal childhood, normal college life, but a big family.

Leiko nodded, with a slight smile. "You're lucky to have a large family, Hatori."

Hatori raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "And why is that?"

"I would love to have large a family as yours. I'd imagine you'd never get lonely." Leiko commented, still staring out of the window.

"Perhaps." Hatori agreed. They were just over three-quarters of the way to the Sohma Estate. "Would you care to tell me about yourself, now, Leiko?"

"I still don't see why, though." Leiko insisted. "I mean, you already-

"I do, but I would like to know your story through your eyes." Hatori said, and Leiko had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, then. I was born in Kyoto, and lived there with my father for three years, before he passed away, and I had to go to the Oki Islands to live with my Grandfather. I went to school there, and now I'm here." Leiko summarized the main points of her life in a few short sentences, but it didn't satisfy Hatori.

"You have no siblings?" Hatori asked. He had none, but the amount of cousins he had, surely had to count for something.

"No," Leiko answered cheerily, "It was just me and my Dad, and then Grandfather. My Mother left when I was a baby, so, I'm actually not very sure."

Hatori was faintly reminded of Momiji and Tohru at the same time. A half orphan, whose mother didn't want her. Leiko was far more sharp witted than Tohru and Momiji though, who were both innocent, and vulnerable.

Hatori pulled up outside a wooden, western style house, along the same road as Shigure's. In all honesty, he was still debating on whether or not to bring Leiko to meet his family, but decided against it. Leiko gawked at the house in wonder, when he started the car again, she stopped him. Hatori masked his confusion.

"What is it?"

"This, this is my house." Leiko told him in awe. Hatori took in the house. It was wooden, and looked homely, and safe, in fact, it resembled Shigure's house an awful lot. One thing stood out in his mind, though.

"If you don't mind my asking, why is it in the middle of a forest?"

Leiko smiled brightly, "Because my father was an amateur poet, and loved being near a forest. This is my house, from when I was a baby."

"I see." Hatori nodded, and got out of the car, and being the gentlemen that he was, opened the door for his intern. Her pale face lit up by the sight of her house, and Hatori felt that it was a sort of fairytale for the girl. Something, he had once come so close to.

But not close enough.

"I trust that you'll be alright here?" Hatori asked, and Leiko nodded.

"Yes. My houselady, Rukia, has been looking after the house for some time. Thank you, Hatori."

Hatori was slightly taken back, "It's fine."

"But, thank you for accepting my internship, and collecting me from the airport and everything." Leiko smiled, "I really appreciate it."

Hatori nodded curtly. "I shall pick you up tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. Then I shall show you to the Sohma Estate, and you can start work immediately."

"Of course." Leiko nodded, and wished Hatori a good night.

Later on, Shigure rang up Hatori, much to Hatori's dismay. He had just began to start a new chapter of his book, and cursed Shigure when he heard the phone's shrill ring.

"Dr. Sohma's residence."

"Oh Hari, there's no need to be so _formal_!" Hatori could practically see Shigure with his hands on his hips.

"Hello Shigure."

"So, how's the new intern?" Shigure asked gleefully. Hatori rolled his eyes towards the skies.

"She's fine. A little younger than I imagined, but she seems cut out for the job."

"Oh Hari, you DOG! Chasing after little college girls!" Shigure grinned from the other end of the phone, as Hatori deadpanned.

"No, Shigure, _you're_ the dog, if I remember correctly."

"Oh details, details!" Shigure sang, "So, when is the intern coming round for dinner?"

"….What?"

"Hari, you know, you can't keep a cute little college girl all to yourself. Sharing is caring, after all. So how about tomorrow night, I know Tohru would love to cook something up!" Shigure offered, dancing around the hall, much to Kyo and Yuki's annoyance.

"Shigure, I'm hanging up now." Hatori replied, as Shigure began to yelp down the phone.

"~MAKE SURE TO ASK HER TO DINNER, HARI!~"

Hatori then heard the sound of Yuki and Kyo's voices, as they snatched the phone off of Shigure, who began to weep and whimper. Hatori hung up, and continued to his reading. A few hours later, he had fallen asleep on his couch, and awoke with a jump, as the painful memory of Kana crossed his mind, back and forth.

Slowly, he pulled himself upright, and shook his head. Kana had been infesting his dreams the past few weeks, as he opened a position for an intern. The dreams were so real, the memories so vivid. He was re-living his time with Kana.

Hatori moved his way to his desk, where the picture of his love was placed. He was once, cold like the snow, and he had been melted once again, by Kana's spring. Now, the winter had come, and only this time, he had frozen. To ice.

Because, there are never any footprints on ice.


	2. Dreamer

2. Dreamer

Hatori awoke that morning with another bad dream, featuring yet again, around Kana. In this dream, Kana had still been with him, and Akito had hurt her terribly, to the point where Kana lay in bed, in hospital, blaming Hatori for everything. This startled Hatori in his sleep, and he woke with a start, in a cold sweat. Every minor detail about Kana was there, whilst she lay in her death bed. The shine in her eyes had dulled, her hair lost that glossy sheen to it, and her skin seemed thin, like paper. Hatori hated himself for losing Kana, and when he was awake, he refused to rest again, just to be sure. It was barely seven o'clock in the morning, and the autumn breeze chilled the air. Hatori had decided to read, in an attempt to take his mind off of things.

The words made little sense to him. He kept re-reading the same few paragraphs over and over again, before closing his book, and getting dressed, impeccably as always. His hair had grown out, but he was reluctant to cut it, as it had not been ordered by Akito. As Hatori knotted his tie, he walked over to where his desk was, and the picture of Kana sat upright. Hesitating, his fingers stroked the picture, and then put it facing down the table, so he wouldn't have to see her any longer.

Hatori passed the time, by thinking about his new intern, and re-reading her files. According to her birth certificate, she had an Irish mother, which was most possibly where Leiko's looks came from. Her father, died in a water related accident at sea. Hatori found this odd, but did not think any more about it. Leiko's grandfather was retired, and lived alone on the island. Leiko has had a less than normal childhood, Hatori realized, and as much as he was lonely, he could bet that she was too.

Hatori picked up his keys from his desk, with a glance to the picture of Kana, which was toppled over, and headed out the door. The air was crisp, and cool. The sun had just peaked over the horizon, and light streamed through the courtyard, as Hatori unlocked his car, and started the engine.

As he pulled up outside Leiko's house, he found that she was waiting for him, and watched as he pulled outside by the patio-like porch, and she strolled over to the car. Leiko was dressed in red jeans, which matched her hair, the same black boots, a green t-shirt, and black cardigan. She looked awake, and sharp, and her blue eyes were clear today.

"Good morning, Hatori." She greeted, as Hatori opened the car door for her.

"I hope you slept well," Hatori said, as he revved the engine. Leiko didn't respond.

"Actually, I found it difficult to sleep. It must have been just getting used to the place." Leiko commented, and Hatori sympathized with the girl, but of course, didn't show it.

"I hope it won't affect your performance." Hatori said, and Leiko raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not."

"Good." Hatori said, and then continued. "The Sohma Estate is massive, so it will take some time to get used to it."

Leiko nodded, gazing out of the window. Hatori glanced at her, and then continued to focus on his driving. The girl didn't fit the type of person Hatori would deem a doctor.

Hatori pulled into the Sohma Estate, and Leiko was in awe of the size and extravagance of the home. It was bigger than any village she had seen before. As she got out of the car, Leiko's eyes flew towards everything of interest, and Hatori noted her curiosity.

"Your home is beautiful." Leiko breathed, her blue eyes shining, and a smile spread across her pale face.

"Thank you." Hatori nodded. "If you follow me, I can show you to my office."

The two walked through the courtyard, and Leiko was quiet, until they reached Hatori's office. It was a solemn place, Leiko thought, so quiet, full of a sadness she was unknown to. Hatori lead Leiko to Kana's old desk, and it almost pained him to see Leiko sit, and do paperwork, where Kana once was.

"This will be your desk," Hatori told Leiko, but she wasn't listening. Her Irish eyes strayed to the vast number of books lining the shelves. A small smile graced her face.

"This reminds me of home. I used to have so many books, I couldn't count them." She said quietly, and Hatori knew that he would have a hard time trying to get her to focus. He looked questioningly at Leiko, as she spotted the turned down picture of Kana, but didn't say anything.

Hatori had forgotten to turn the picture back up, and hoped that Leiko wouldn't ask about it. She didn't, but she turned around to Hatori, and smiled.

"Here's a question for you. What's the most important part of the story-the start, middle, or end?"

Hatori was taken back by the question. He had read many books in his time, and after a few seconds, he answered.

"The end, of course." His eyes were not cold, but not warm either.

Leiko looked at Hatori with what he identified as sympathy, but was still smiling. "You're wrong. It's the start. Because, with a good start, a story can last forever."

Hatori sat in his chair, and raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps, but a story's greatness is measured by the outcome at the end."

Leiko's eyes were brightening, as she answered back. "But what about a story so great, it never would have to end?"

Hatori grew cold. "All good things come to an end." His thoughts strayed to Kana, and he abruptly stood up.

"If you would excuse me, I have business to attend to." He said, but Leiko was under the impression that he had no idea what he was saying, as he slipped out of the room.

This left Leiko to herself, and she took the opportunity to walk around the office, taking in every little detail, such as the charts on the walls, and the books and ornaments on the shelves. It was a natural habit she had, even as a young child. Leiko's father had always told her to take notice of the ordinary things, because in reality they were extraordinary.

Leiko felt a sigh build up in her chest. She had a constant reminder of her father when she was in Kyoto. Her father loved the place, and spoke fondly of its memories and told Leiko that Kyoto was where he found his love, and he hoped that one day she would too.

That was before he had died, and Leiko was still haunted by the memory of her father. He had been the biggest influence in her life, and now he was gone, she didn't know what to do. Except, she told everyone she did know what to do, where to go. Leiko really had no idea what she was doing in Kyoto, except that her father always wanted to go back to the city.

Leiko had no interest to become a doctor. She had lied to Hatori, and felt bad for conning the man, who was only trying to help. But, she would go on to be a doctor, and help people in doing so, even if it wasn't what she dreamed of as a child.

Leiko let the sigh come out. She shook her head, and rubbed her auburn head. Hatori's office was silent, and it was the only moment Leiko had ever heard pure silence.

"Hey, are you alright?" A high, girly voice asked, and Leiko turned around quickly to see a young boy, dressed in shorts and a cardigan, and hat, peep around the doorway, and come into Hatori's office.

The boy had large brown eyes, and a headful of blond hair, along with a sweet smile. He bowed in front of Leiko, and giggled.

"Hi! I'm Momiji Sohma, and you must be Hari's new intern!" Momiji grinned. "I've heard a lot about you! You're Leiko, right? Did I get it right?"

Leiko nodded, with a smile, and she sat down at her desk, as Momiji continued to keep on talking.

"Yay! Am I the only Sohma you've met so far?" Momiji asked, and looked absolutely delighted by the idea. Leiko nodded, and her hands quickly took the paperwork, and she started to carry on with her work as Momiji babbled on.

"Oh I'm so happy! I mean, I know you've met Hari, but I'm the next Sohma you've met! There are an awful lot of us, so I know you and Hari will be busy! Hey, Lei-chan, is it alright if I call you that?"

"It's fine," Leiko smiled at Momiji, who grinned and hopped a little in delight.

"Hey, Lei-chan, you don't look Japanese."

"Well, Momiji," Leiko put down her paperwork, and smiled, "You don't either."

"Oh, that's because I'm part German!" Momiji answered, "So where are you from, Lei-chan?"

"I'm part Irish, on my Mother's side." Leiko explained, "That's where my red hair and blue eyes came from."

"Really?" Momiji exclaimed, "I thought you dyed your hair!"

"No, this is my natural colour." Leiko smiled, then her face dropped as someone else came into the room.

"Momiji, are you in here?"

Momiji's face looked surprise, and then he grinned again. "Yeah, Haru! I'm in here, with Lei-chan, Hari's new intern!"

Then a boy with black and white hair came into the office. He had gray eyes, and a pale face, and a calm, solemn expression.

"Haru, this is Leiko Kiyoko, Hari's new intern!" Momiji gestured to Leiko. "Lei-chan, this is Hatsuharu, or Haru Sohma!"

"It's nice to meet you!" Leiko smiled, and Haru nodded, and Momiji asked.

"Hey, Haru, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was with Rin, and I went to look for you, then got myself tangled with the Sohma's labyrinth, and somehow I wound up here."

"So, you go lost?" Momiji asked, sighing a little. Haru nodded.

"You could say that…"

"Momiji, Haru, shouldn't you be at school?" Leiko asked politely, as she put down her paperwork. Momiji shook his head in glee, and Haru remained stony faced.

"Nuh-uh! Today we're off for autumn break! So we get to play and eat ice cream, and-

"Not bother my assistant." Hatori's voice broke Momiji's sweet and happy one. He stood at the door, with sharp eyes glaring at Momiji and Hatsuharu. Momiji looked down at his feet in shame, and Haru kept a calm, cool expression, and looked Hatori in the eye.

"Now, Momiji, you were here for a check-up, I believe?" Hatori asked, and Momiji nodded, and hopped up onto Hatori's chair, with a smile plastered onto his face.

Leiko looked up from her paperwork, and caught Momiji's eye. He grinned, and she winked back with the same grin. Hatori took his pulse, and temperature, but it was when Momiji coughed, did Leiko look up. His cough was like a monster was stuck in his lungs.

Hatori shook his head and told Momiji that his throat had a minor infection. Haru was sitting along the porch, and looked back at Momiji.

"You will have to take this cough medicine three times a day, for a week." Hatori told Momiji, handing him a bottle of cough mixture. Leiko looked at the label in disbelief.

"Momiji's far too small for such a strong medicine." Leiko interfered, and Haru looked up with interest, as he watched Hatori get challenged by his intern. Hatori, however, remained calm.

"I'm sorry?"

"You'll stunt his growth if you give him that." Leiko insisted, and Hatori raised an eyebrow, arms folded.

"What would you suggest, Leiko?"

"Honey in his tea would do the trick." Leiko said, smiling. "It would soften and get rid of the cough."

Hatori eyed the girl with interest. He decided to put his new intern to the test, and see how much of a genius she was.

"Alright. Momiji, go with Leiko and find some honey, and we'll see I it works."

Momiji hopped off of the chair, and took Leiko by the hand, and showed her the way out.

"C'mon Lei-chan!"

The door clicked close, leaving Haru and Hatori to themselves. Hatori asked Hatsuharu.

"What was she like, around you and Momiji?" Knowing well that Leiko would have acted differently around the two teenagers, than him.

Haru looked up at Hatori from where he sat on the porch, with his jacket sitting beside him. His face was disinterested, and he answered.

"She was cute."

Hatori rolled his eyes, and continued with his work.


	3. Discovery

3. Discovery

Hatori found in that first week with his new intern, that she was quite the opposite of him. Leiko, although she worked well, and consistently, could be a slacker and a talker, and Hatori found that her strange habits, although were irritating, he didn't seem to mind them, as much as he should have. As a matter of fact, he found himself amused by their conversations.

Momiji and Haru, both on their mid-term break, always seemed to worm their way into Hatori's office, and distract both Hatori and Leiko from their work. This bothered Hatori to the point where he would have to kick the two boys out, but only sometimes. That week, Hatori was kept busy with Akito, who was constantly sick and sore, much to his dismay. Leiko didn't find out about Akito, until the end of the week, in which Hatori sat Leiko down, and explained it very clear to her.

"As you know, Leiko, the Sohma family is quite large, and much of my time goes to the head of the family, Akito Sohma." Hatori began, as Leiko watched him with her blue eyes. She was serious today, Hatori noticed, and knew that this would help him.

"Akito suffers from a terminal illness, and although I cannot cure him, I can prolong his life. This is why I am out so often, as Akito requires my full attention. I now know I can count on you to take care of my office, and treat some of the other Sohmas, such as Momiji and Haru." Hatori had told her.

Leiko nodded I dismay, and a look of worry came across her face and voice. "I see. Please send Akito my regards."

Hatori nodded, noting that this was possibly the first time someone had genuinely sent Akito regards. He stood up, and told Leiko that he had set her out some work to get done, and that he wouldn't be too long.

Leiko nodded, and when Hatori left, she began to get set to her work. Hatori was always polite, but cold towards Leiko, and she wondered, whether or not to take it to heart. However, the more thought she put into it, the more she thought that perhaps Hatori had a reason for his coldness.

_Everyone has a secret, something that eats away at them inside, until it becomes so unbearable, that the bearer becomes cold and numb._

Leiko knew this from experience. With a sigh, she pushed herself away from her desk, and stared around the room. It was still so sorrowful. Leiko could almost see the pain dust every surface. Leiko sighed once again, and stood up.

She walked towards the bookshelf with the turned picture. For awhile now, she had been curious to see it, but a part of her knew she shouldn't. It was Hatori's. It was none of her concern.

Leiko's fingertips reached out and brushed the frame, but she was startled by the door opening.

A tall, dark haired man, with black eyes came into the room, dressed in a kimono. He seemed young, maybe about Hatori's age. A boy with porcelain skin, violet eyes and hair, and a girl with dark eyes, and long brown hair, with an innocent smile followed after the man.

"Oh you must be the new intern," The man said, a smile lighting his face up. Leiko stared at him suspiciously, she had a feeling Hatori had mentioned this guy once or twice…

"Yes, my name is Leiko Kiyoko." Leiko introduced herself, with a grin, forgetting about her behaviour a moment ago. Her bright eyes became bluer.

"Yes, and my name is Shigure Sohma, and these two here are Yuki Sohma, and Tohru Honda. We've come here to see Hatori, but it seems he isn't here." Shigure commented, raising a finger to his lips.

"Hatori has to attend to Akito." Leiko explained, and Shigure nodded, understanding instantly. Yuki flinched noticeably, and Shigure continued.

"I hope we aren't distracting you from your work, if we're a bother we can leave."

Leiko shook her head with a smile, "Nah, it's fine. I'm more or less done here anyway."

Shigure nodded, and sat down at the porch, along with Tohru and Yuki. Leiko followed suit, assuming that they were waiting to see Hatori.

"I'm actually not so sure of when Hatori's coming back." Leiko began, and Shigure shook his head.

"Not at all, it's perfectly all right, my dear. I just wanted to meet Hari's new intern. He had been boasting about how cute you were, and I just had to see it for myself." Shigure winked at Leiko, whilst Yuki shot him a glare.

Leiko raised an eyebrow. "So, I guess, you're all related to Hatori?"

Shigure nodded, "Yes, Yuki and I are his cousins. Tohru is just a family friend, I'm afraid."

Leiko smiled. "I see."

Tohru continued. "So Leiko-san, we heard that you moved from the Oki Islands, is that right?"

"Yeah, I moved into my old house, near the forest. It's a really nice place, sort of, secluded from the city."

"Yes," Shigure said, "We live in a similar area."

"Sorry for interrupting," Yuki said softly, "But you haven't seen a boy with black and white hair around, have you?"

"Oh you mean Haru?" Leiko asked, "No, he and Momiji haven't come over since yesterday."

"Oh, you already know Haru and Momiji?" Shigure asked. Leiko grinned, rubbing her head.

"Yeah, they usually come over around now."

"I see. Hey, Leiko-san, you're not fully Japanese, are you?" Tohru asked, out of curiosity, and Leiko smiled, remembering that Momiji had asked the exact same question only a week ago.

"No, my mother was Irish."

"That explains your luscious red hair, and lovely blue eyes." Shigure smiled, and winked again at Leiko, which earned him a thump to the head by Yuki.

Shigure wept tears of drama. "What? Hari can have Lei-chan all to himself, but I can't say nice things about her?" He protested.

Yuki scorned him. "You should be in jail…."

Shigure's face lit up, "That's where you're wrong…"

Leiko stood up, and was about to walk inside, when the door opened, and she could see from where she stood, it was Haru. The cow had a dazed expression, and his eyes lit up when he saw Yuki, Shigure and Tohru.

"You haven't seen Momiji, have you?" He asked Leiko, who shook her head.

"No, I thought he would be with you."

"I haven't been able to find him all day." Haru said, shrugging his shoulders. He turned to Shigure, Yuki and Tohru. "Hey."

Suddenly, a voice cheered out of nowhere, and Leiko felt someone hug her from behind.

"Kyooooooooooo-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

Momiji's arms grasped around her, before he looked up, and shock spread on his face, as a loud 'POP' echoed in the room, and Momiji disappeared, much to Leiko's surprise.

She turned around to see a cloud of smoke, and she felt Shigure and Yuki pull her back, and Leiko shook them off. She scrambled to the floor, to find Momiji, and only found a pile of clothes.

Yuki and Shigure looked at each other, awaiting for Leiko's reaction. Tohru watched, terrified that Leiko may reject Momiji, or get her memories erased.

Leiko sifted through the pile of clothes, and found a yellow, fluffy rabbit, with red eyes, and chocolate tipped ears. Leiko gently picked up the rabbit, who spoke to her.

"Oh, Lei-chan! I didn't know it was you! I thought it was Kyo-chan, I didn't mean to scare you Lei-chan. Lei-chan? Are you alright, Lei-chan?" Momiji's voice was scared, and worried, as Leiko looked intently at the rabbit.

"No way," She breathed, "This is the curse of the Chinese Zodiac, isn't it?"

Shigure and Yuki were shocked to find that this outsider knew of the curse. Haru was surprised to see that Leiko knew too, but didn't respond, and slid out of the door. Shigure was the first to speak up.

"Leiko-chan, how do _you _ know about the curse?"

Just then, Hatori and Haru burst in the door, Hatori looking severely annoyed.

"Shigure, _what _is going on?"

"Look Hari, I think we all need to sit down, and have a little talk…"

Suddenly there was another pop.

"Momiji, put some clothes on."

"M'kay Haru!"

Later on, when everyone had settled down and were sitting in Hatori's office, Shigure brought up the matter again to Leiko.

"Leiko-chan, you say you already knew about the curse?"

Leiko nodded, her blue eyes serious under locks of her red hair.

"But how?" Yuki questioned. Everyone waited for her answer.

Leiko took a breath in. "When my Grandfather was young," She began, "He fell irrevocably in love with a woman possessed by the Sohma curse. Eventually, the woman my Grandfather fell for, died at a young age. My Grandfather moved to a distant island so he wouldn't have to see her home everyday. He told me this, before I moved here to Kyoto."

Hatori and Shigure shared a look, and Momiji asked brightly, "Lei-chan, what spirit was the woman cursed by?"

Leiko glanced up at him with sad eyes, and answered with a small, pitiful smile.

"God."

The room fell silent, and everyone shocked by this information. Hatori was the first to react, and stood up abruptly and said:

"If you don't mind, my assistant and I would like some privacy. Thank you."

Haru and Momiji left, with Momiji looking downcast. Haru nodded goodbye to Leiko, and carried Momiji out. Yuki and Tohru followed quickly after them, both bowing politely. Shigure stayed with Hatori for a few moments, whispering in urgent conversation.

Shigure stood up, and said to Leiko. "Leiko-chan, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to invite you to dinner at my house next weekend. I'll have Hatori bring you to my house."

Leiko nodded with a smile, "That would be lovely, Shigure."

The dog responded with a wink, and a wave to Hatori, and left the room.

This left Leiko and Hatori alone. The atmosphere was tense, and Hatori sat in his chair, and was thinking for a few moments. He had never thought, in a million years, that Leiko would have already been aware of the curse. She was diligent, and had never even hinted at anything, so Hatori could trust that she was not out to get the Sohma family. He looked at Leiko, who stared out the window. He wondered if she knew about him, and his true form.

"Leiko, it is exceedingly rare, that an outsider of the Sohma family should know about the curse. Under normal circumstances, I would have erased your memories, and I may have to do that. But, first, you will have to understand, that this curse, is called just that, because it causes pain and misery among those who suffer from it. That would be why I would have to erase your memory. So you wouldn't suffer." Hatori explained to her, and Leiko's face was downcast, as she calmly looked at the window.

"Hatori," she asked. Hatori looked at her. "Have you ever been in love?"

Hatori was taken back by this question, but answered.

"Yes."

"My Grandfather was in love too. In fact, he still is in love, forty years on. Even though, he had his love taken away from him, because he could never break the curse, even though he spent years trying to figure out the key, he couldn't do it. So his love died in vain, and he had to go on, as if she never existed.

Leiko looked at Hatori, and Hatori felt a memory of Kana jolt his chest.

"He had to suffer the pain of watching her be under the spell, but you know what? He told me that it was the best years of his life, because they were spent with her. And now, even now, I can see it in his eyes. He isn't completely focused, because he's thinking about her, and the future they never had. I can't imagine a pain so unbearable. But, I think, that if I could, I would help the Sohmas, because I don't want anyone to go through the pain my Grandfather did."

Through that speech, Hatori's thoughts dwelled on Kana, and he understood the pain Leiko's grandfather had gone through. The loneliness, silence, pain, suffering, misery, Hatori had it all. And Hatori could finally understand the real reason Leiko was here.

"You want to break this curse."

Leiko looked up at the tall, somber man, whose eyes were cold, and faithless. Leiko's eyes were full of faith, and she closed her eyes.

"For my Grandfather."

Hatori felt that he could understand, but he couldn't believe in this girl. The reality of the matter was that Akito would wound Leiko emotionally and physically, and he would be left with no assistant, and no freedom.

But, he could let her try.

But Hatori's soul would not allow him to use Leiko for his own welfare.

"I must speak with Akito." Hatori told her, and Leiko nodded. "He will decide whether or not you can keep your memories."

Hatori's hand went to grasp the door, until a quirky, familiar voice interrupted him.

"Akito is God, isn't he?"

Hatori nodded, before leaving the room.


End file.
